Aspirin appears to do more than just cure headaches or manage pain; it can also cut down the risk of developing cancer tied to obesity, a new study suggests.
The study was led by researchers from University of Leeds and Newcastle University in the United Kingdom and appears in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
According to the study, using aspirin daily can be beneficial to Lynch syndrome patients, who have higher risk of developing cancers, most commonly colorectal cancer.
Overweight people with the genetic disorder Lynch syndrome tend to have an even greater risk of developing cancer.
In the study, researchers enlisted more than 900 patients with the genetic disorder to be part of randomized controlled trials that ran for over ten years.
The participants were required to take two 600-mg aspirins daily or a placebo drug for two years.
Ten years later, researchers followed up on the participants and found that 55 of them developed bowel cancers, with those belonging to the obese category having the highest risk.
The researchers then concluded that obesity contributes to the risk of developing bowel cancer in those with Lynch syndrome, but with aspirin the risk is reduced.
According to Professor John Mathers of the Newcastle University in a press release, the most important take home message is that everyone should aim for a healthy weight and obese people should work to lose weight.
While losing weight can be difficult, Mathers suggested that taking aspirin might offer some help.
Researchers admit that they need to conduct more studies to establish their findings. However, they believe that aspirin possesses properties that influence an individual's likelihood of getting cancer.
More importantly, Professor John Burn of Newcastle University advises that before one decides to make aspirin a part of their daily routine, he or she should seek professional advice since the drug also comes with health risks.
